2017's 20 Under 25 list: You made the calls!

2017's 20 UNDER 25: YOUR FINAL RANKINGS

Once again, CSNNE.com has put together a list of the best 20 Boston athletes under 25 years old as we head into 2017 . . . except this time, these are your choices!

In December, you voted on a list of 33 players from the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox and Revs, ranking them in a 1-to-10 voting system. And here the top 20 you selected, with the composite score of each one.

The Patriots (8) had the most players on the list, followed by the Red Sox (5), Bruins (4) and Celtics (3). (Sorry, Revs fans; the player with the highest score from your team, Diego Fagundez, finished 22nd in the voting and just missed the top 20.)

20: Frank Vatrano

TURNS 25: MARCH 14, 2019FINAL RATING: 5.2 OUT OF 10

While he might not be considered a prospect because he’s entering his second year in the NHL, Frank Vatrano isn’t that much older than kids still developing in the collegiate and junior-hockey ranks.

Vatrano opted to sign with the Bruins after one year of college hockey, and now he’s one of the Bruins' great offensive hopes. The 22-year-old East Longmeadow, Mass., native scored an eye-popping 44 goals between the NHL and AHL last season, and flashed the best shot and release on the entire team when he was in shooting position.

The real story with Vatrano is the work he put in prior to his first full pro season to drop some weight, get into shape and gain the kind of skating speed that, with his size and shot, could make him highly effective at the NHL level. Now it’s up to Vatrano to show he can build off his eight goals in 39 games during his rookie season in Boston.

Vatrano elevated his profile a bit when he starred with Auston Matthews for Team USA at the World Championships last spring, and was trending toward becoming a top-6 winger role alongside David Krejci until he suffered his foot injury just ahead of the preseason. He missed the first three months of the season, but he's back now.

Given his youth and the kind of classic goal-scoring tools he’s shown in parts of two NHL seasons, he could become the best offensive player the state of Massachusetts has supplied to the Bruins in a long, long time.

19: Jacoby Brissett

TURNS 25: DECEMBER 11, 2017FINAL RATING: 5.7 OUT OF 10

After one Patriots practice late in the season, Jacoby Brissett walked by the locker of defensive captain Devin McCourty with one purpose: To boast about the fact that he threw for two touchdowns on the Pro Bowler.

After a good-natured back-and-forth where McCourty doubted the validity of Brissett's claims, the veteran shouted as the rookie walked away, "But I like you, Brissett!"

The North Carolina State product with the big arm has impressed many within the organization during his first year as a pro. But has he been impressive enough? His development could be the deciding factor in how the Patriots handle Jimmy Garoppolo moving forward.

Is Brissett ready to be the backup? Could he be Tom Brady's successor? Those answers may be unclear to those of us who aren't able to watch him run the "look squad" in practice on a daily basis or see him in meeting rooms.

But people like Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels probably have an idea. They brought him on trips with the team while he was on injured reserve so that he might get a better understanding of the game-day operation on the road. They designated him as the player to return off of injured reserve, allowing him to get more practice reps late in the year. It seems like they're grooming the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder for something.

If they are, and if he becomes the No. 2 man on the depth chart in 2017, he'll be the only player on this list capable of seeing a monster bump in his ranking next year without any additional playing time. The promotion alone would drastically alter how he's perceived.

18: Blake Swihart

TURNS 25: APRIL 3, 2017FINAL RATING: 5.7 OUT OF 10

After a solid start to his career in 2015, Blake Swihart was the Red Sox' starting catcher at the start of the 2016 season. He got off to a 5-for-18 start, but showed no power and scuffled behind the plate; so when the rehabbing Christian Vazquez got the medical green light to rejoin the big-league club, Swihart went down to Pawtucket and spent time in the outfield.

He worked his way back to Boston, starting 13 games in left until he hurt himself tracking a ball in the limited foul territory down the line. His sprained left ankle turned into a 60-day DL stint and season-ending surgery, limiting him to 19 games on the year.

Despite the mishap Swihart is a good enough defensively in left to play there consistently, but doesn’t hit well enough to be an outfielder. Besides, Andrew Benintendi has taken hold of the left-field spot.

The oldest Red Sox player (at age 24) to make this list, Swihart hasn’t fully lived up to the hype. He’s battled Vazquez every step of the way, and now Sandy Leon sits in front of both of them both entering 2017.

The spot for backup catcher is open, but the edge seems to be in Vazquez’s favor at the moment. If he and Leon struggle early, Swihart will get his shot -- but he needs to take full advantage if he hopes to contribute to Boston now and in the future.

17: Terry Rozier

TURNS 25: MARCH 17, 2019FINAL RATING: 5.85 OUT OF 10

This has certainly been an up-and-down kind of season so far for Rozier. After racing towards a spot in the team’s regular rotation, his struggles shooting the ball have landed him a spot on the bench to the point where he’s not playing (coaches decision). All is not lost, however, That tremendous burst of speed, good defensive instincts and unshakeable were all keys to him landing a spot in the team’s rotation at the start of the season.

But Gerald Green, who replaced Rozier in the rotation, has been on an absolute tear shooting the ball recently. Known as a streaky shooter, the Celtics are wisely riding him out until he cools down.

And when that happens, look for Rozier to find himself back in the rotation where he can start living up to the lofty expectations that both the Celtics and Rozier himself have for him in the near future.

16: Charlie McAvoy

TURNS 25: DECEMBER 21, 2022FINAL RATING: 5.9 OUT OF 10

Charlie McAvoy is only a sophomore at Boston University, but Bruins fans are already clamoring for the day when he’ll patrol the back end at TD Garden. The 2 goals and 13 points in 17 games so far this season are modest by his standards, but numbers only tell part of the story of a 19-year-old who projects to be a Drew Doughty-type defenseman capable of playing heavy minutes of productive hockey.

It could be undue pressure on a player like McAvoy to label him the future No. 1 defenseman of the Bruins, but that’s exactly where he projects once he starts his NHL apprenticeship. McAvoy showed a blistering point shot and penchant for hardnosed physical play with Team USA at the World Junior level, and set social media on fire last summer when he smoked Lawson Crouse with a big, heavy -- and clean -- open-ice hit during international competition.

The endurance to play big ice-time minutes, the top-shelf offensive skills, and the willingness to mix it up physically are the ingredients that make McAvoy a perfect fit for the Bruins organization once he turns pro. The real question with McAvoy is when that’s going to be.

Perhaps Bruins fans will get their first look at McAvoy in a Bruins uniform at the end of this year, if he decides to turn pro after the Terriers' season ends. If so, the youth movement on the Boston back end will continue as talented youngsters like McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Jeremy Lauzon, Jakob Zboril and Ryan Lindgren begin to take over.

15: David Andrews

TURNS 25: JULY 10, 2017FINAL RATING: 6.2 OUT OF 10

If this list was all about physical gifts, David Andrews (6-foot-3, 295 pounds) might not sniff the top 20. But with the Patriots, he's a perfect fit for what they want in the middle of their offensive line: He's smart, works well with others, and sees the game the way the coaching staff wants it to be seen -- particularly when it comes to making protection calls at the line of scrimmage.

Andrews may not have the size to be able to manhandle players like Buffalo's Marcell Dareus or Miami's Ndamukong Suh one-on-one, but he has good quickness, allowing him to lead the charge on screens or accompany Tom Brady as the quarterback's personal protector on bootlegs. He started the first 10 games of last season as an undrafted rookie, and he has yet to miss a start during his sophomore campaign.

If the Patriots want to take the continuity they've established on the offensive line into 2017, Andrews will be in the middle of things yet again. He's critical to the overall operation.

14: Eduardo Rodriguez

TURNS 25: APRIL 7, 2018FINAL RATING: 6.2 OUT OF 10

Prior to the 2016 campaign Eduardo Rodriguez might’ve found himself higher on this list. But the soap opera that was the 23-year-old’s second season in Boston was unsettling.

Following 2015, when he finished with a 3.85 ERA over 121 innings, Rodriguez was penciled in as the Red Sox' No. 2 starter behind David Price. But a February knee injury that initially seemed mild delayed the start of his season to May 31.

When E-Rod made his return to a scuffling starting rotation, he didn't provide the help they needed. He gave up 4-plus runs in four of his first six outings, buying himself a bus ticket to Pawtucket.

However, his second stint with the Red Sox, which began after a couple of weeks in the minors, was much more promising . . . until a hamstring injury all but ended his season.

Rodriguez clearly has that ability to be a No. 2 starting pitcher on most teams, but his mental makeup is the biggest concern. With Price, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello filling the first three slots in the rotation, Rodriguez has significantly less pressure on him entering 2017. This will be the chance for him to get his bearings and should serve as the final test for the Boston front office to see if he can handle the pressure of pitching in this city.

13: Shaq Mason

TURNS 25: AUGUST 28, 2018FINAL RATING: 6.2 OUT OF 10

Shaq Mason came to New England as the product of an option attack at Georgia Tech. Though he had a ways to go in picking up a pro-style offense following the 2015 draft, he quickly established himself as one of the most athletic players on the Patriots offensive line.

The fourth-round pick started 12 games last season, including both playoff games, and has followed that up by playing in every game this year.

Though somewhat undersized at 6-foot-1, Mason's ability to move in space and deliver powerful blocks on defenders of all sizes makes him a real asset in the power running game and in the screen game the Patriots so often employ.

"He’s tough. He can really move. He’s got great agility," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said earlier this season. "I tell him he’s got built-in leverage because he’s not the tallest guy in the world, so that gives him an added advantage in terms of being underneath people. Ultimately, playing the offensive line position, that’s really the most important thing. You’ve got to win with leverage and pad-level, and Shaq has done a nice job of that."

Mason has improved steadily over the course of two seasons and is under contract for two more. His intelligence and athleticism -- along with the familiarity he has now with right tackle Marcus Cannon and center David Andrews -- should enable him to continue to grow.

12: Marcus Smart

TURNS 25: MARCH 6, 2019FINAL RATING: 6.4 OUT OF 10

Marcus Smart came into the NBA with a penchant for good defense, and seems to have only grown stronger in this particular phase of the game. While his shooting touch is very much a work in progress, the 6-foot-4 Smart has emerged as one of the Celtics' most important players.

He can play all three perimeter positions while still maintaining a solid defensive presence. But it's his decision-making as a point guard where Smart’s improved play really stands out.

Coming off the bench but playing starter-like minutes, Smart is providing everything Boston got from Evan Turner a year ago, and then some.

He doesn’t shoot a high percentage, but has shown himself to be pretty clutch in late-game situations whether it’s hitting a 3-pointer or finding a teammate for an easy score.

And as he continues to gain more experience, look for his confidence and overall production to continue growing.

11: James White

TURNS 25: FEBRUARY 3, 2017FINAL RATING: 6.5 OUT OF 10

The latest in a long line of Patriots sub backs, James White has done enough in his third season out of Wisconsin that Bill Belichick mentioned him in the same breath as both Kevin Faulk and Shane Vereen on multiple occasions in 2016. High praise. And when Dion Lewis was preparing to make his return from the physically-unable-to-perform-list in November -- when there was some question as to whether or not there would still be a role available for White in the Patriots offense -- Belichick doubled down.

"It would take somebody playing pretty good to be better than him," Belichick said at the time.

He wasn't lying.

Even with Lewis back in the mix, White has continued to be a consistent option in the passing game, seeing 5.8 targets per game between Weeks 11 and 16 with Lewis active versus the 5.2 per game White saw before Lewis' return. Despite some drop issues late in the year (three combined in Weeks 15 and 16), White has been a dependable set of hands for Tom Brady out of the backfield and reliable in pass-protection. A hard= worker, and an affable character in the locker room, White will turn 25 just before the Super Bowl, making him ancient as far as this list is concerned. Still, you'd be hard-pressed to find a player on this list whose post-score celebrations carry more swag. (That's something under-25s say, right? Swag? No?)

10: Trey Flowers

TURNS 25: AUGUST 16, 2018FINAL RATING: 6.6 OUT OF 10

Trey Flowers, like Joe Thuney, is a player who carved a niche for himself at a hard position to do so.

A fourth-round pick out of Arkansas in 2015, Flowers had the ultimate bittersweet start to his career. He sacked Aaron Rodgers in his first preseason game, but injured his shoulder and wound up playing just one game as a rookie in what amounted to a redshirt season.

This year, after the team jettisoned Chandler Jones last spring, Rob Ninkovich wound up injured and serving a four-game suspension and Jabaal Sheard strangely struggled, Flowers emerged as the Patriots most consistently productive pass-rusher.

Flowers has seven sacks in the Patriots' last eight games and it was telling that, after a two-sack game against Buffalo, his playing time ballooned (64.1 percent of the snaps since then up from 49.2 percent). He’s an interesting weapon who’s earned what he’s gotten this year.

9: Joe Thuney

TURNS 25: NOVEMBER 16, 2017FINAL RATING: 6.6 OUT OF 10

The Patriots spent a third-rounder on Joe Thuney last May and the irrepressibly upbeat kid has been one of the best rookie linemen in the NFL this season. The North Carolina State product, plugged in at left guard between Nate Solder and David Andrews, has simply played like a guy who’s been in the league five years, not one who’s just completing his rookie season.

In early September, Bill Belichick said of Thuney, “He’s a good athlete, he’s a good football player, and he’s got good awareness, good instincts, works well with the other offensive linemen, knowing what guys need help based on what the call is, what the protection is, who the players are and so forth. Again, there’s room for improvement. There are a lot of things he can learn, but for where he is in his career, he has got a pretty good understanding of it. (He’s) a pretty smart player.”

Entering the final week of the season, Thuney had played 99.62 percent of the Patriots offensive snaps (1,047 of them, tied with Andrews for the team lead). Get used to the name.

8: Brandon Carlo

TURNS 25: NOVEMBER 26, 2021FINAL RATING: 6.7 OUT OF 10

It’s happened a bit sooner than expected, but 20-year-old Brandon Carlo is beginning to realize a bright future on the back end for the Bruins.

Instead of needing multiple years of AHL development, the 6-foot-5 blueliner was able to jump into the mix as a shutdown defenseman right from the start of preseason while showing strength, poise and plenty of upside. It’s perhaps a little bit of a surprise that Carlo was the first member of the vaunted 2015 Bruins draft class to establish himself at the NHL level, but he was also the closest to physical readiness for the NHL when he was picked at the top of the second round.

Interestingly for the Bruins, Carlo was selected with one of the second-round picks they acquired from the New York Islanders in the Johnny Boychuk trade and has essentially replaced No. 55 on Boston’s back end a couple of years later.

There is still plenty of development time coming for Carlo at the NHL level, and he’s just begun to scratch the surface offensively with a strong point shot and an innate ability to make good decisions with the puck coming out of the breakout. But the size, the wing span, the good stick in the D-zone and a frame that’s going to put on size and strength scream out defensive stopper for the Bruins for years to come, with Zdeno Chara as the perfect veteran to apprentice Carlo.

Carlo might never be an NHL All-Star or become a very flashy player, but he's strong, tough and smart, and exactly the kind of blueliner a hockey club needs.

7: Malcom Brown

TURNS 25: FEBRUARY 2, 2019FINAL RATING: 6.8 OUT OF 10

There’s upside galore for the Patriots' big defensive tackle. Malcom Brown doesn’t even turn 23 until February, so the team’s first-round pick in 2015 (32nd overall) has loads of time to grow into his NFL role. And he ought to, which is why this is a good spot for him on this list.

Brown hasn’t had a tremendously consistent 2016 -- he was supplanted in the defensive-line rotation in Week 16 by rookie Vincent Valentine -- but that figures to be temporary. There are too many occasions this year and last where you see Brown manhandle the guy across from him and make a play of consequence. The 6-2, 320-pounder has 46 tackles and three sacks this year. Just take a look at this tone-setter against the Ravens that put the Patriots up 2-0 in the first quarter.

Brown’s ability to be an interior speed rusher is impressive, but in the Patriots scheme there’s still a lot of two-gapping and blocker occupying that has to go on. It’s not an easy transition. The Patriots expect Brown to follow in the footsteps of players like Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren and Richard Seymour as a beast up front. It’s a reasonable bet.

6: Jaylen Brown

TURNS 25: OCTOBER 24, 2021FINAL RATING: 6.95 OUT OF 10

The reaction on draft night with the selection of Jaylen Brown was mixed, at best, from Celtics Nation.

But in the months since the former Cal standout has been in Boston, he has done his part to win over fans.

There’s the old school, high top fade from the 1980s. One of his favorite players was former Celtic Dee Brown whose number seven jersey Brown now wears for the Celtics.

But what has set him apart from many has been his above-the-rim, highlight reel quality dunks. But for good measure, he has made a point of proving he can do more than just dunk the basketball.

The 6-foot-8 rookie is also using his above-average athleticism to steadily improve as a defender, trying his best to develop the kind of all-around game that generate a lot more cheers than jeers going forward.

5: Malcolm Mitchell

TURNS 25: JULY 20, 2018FINAL RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10

Old and injury prone. Those were the raps on Mitchell last year when he came out of the University of Georgia as a soon-to-be 24-year-old wide receiver. Everybody loved his character, though, and they all knew how productive he was early on as a Bulldog before two knee injuries waylaid his chances at being a first-rounder. Beyond that, he had long arms and massive hands for a guy who’s barely 6-foot. So the Patriots took him in the fourth round and it wasn’t long before all of Mitchell was on display.

A nice, charming, smart kid, he made some incredible plays in training camp and preseason, then got hurt, dislocating his elbow while struggling for extra yards in a preseason game. But he made it back for the opener -- testimony to his toughness -- and over a late-season stretch has shown a knack for making contested catches in hazardous areas, has earned the trust of Tom Brady and is the best rookie receiver the Patriots have had since Deion Branch came aboard in 2002.

Mitchell, who’s also a tenacious blocker, has 32 catches on 48 targets for 401 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. During a five-game stretch against the Niners, Jets, Rams, Ravens and Broncos, he made 22 catches and scored all four of his touchdowns.

After years in the desert trying to get it right when drafting receivers, Mitchell’s been an oasis for the Patrriots in 2016.

4: Andrew Benintendi

TURNS 25: JULY 6, 2019FINAL RATING: 7.8 OUT OF 10

He’s only played in 34 games with the big-league club, but Andrew Benintendi’s talent impressed everyone in 2016.

Power isn’t a major part of his game at the moment, but it wasn’t for Mookie Betts at age 22, either. In every other regard Boston’s new left fielder showed a consistent bat throughout his first campaign, hitting .295 with a .359 on-base percentage. He flashed some serious leather, too, robbing the Rays' Scott Souza Jr.of a home run as he nearly flipped over the left-field wall at Tropicana Field.

Benintendi also handled some adversity, coming back from a sprained left knee. He dealt with it quickly and picked up where he left off.

And the mistakes the rookie made in 2016 -- losing a ball in the lights against the Yankees and letting Indians’ catcher Roberto Perez tag from first on a casual fly ball during the ALDS -- were more growing pains than anything else.

Benintendi still has to show he can maintain this play over a full season, but all signs show he’s up for the task.

3: David Pastrnak

TURNS 25: MAY 25, 2021FINAL RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10

David Pastrnak needed to make a quantum leap in his development in this, his third NHL season, after showing great promise during his teenage years in the league, and he’s doing exactly that. The 20-year-old natural scorer has always had the skating, shooting and dazzling playmaking skills, but now he’s up to 190 pounds while winning battles and hanging onto the puck.

Pastrnak has easily been the B’s best forward in the first three months this season, and has been among the league’s top goal-scorers despite missing time along the way with injuries and a suspension. Some of it is obviously the natural maturation process after a couple of years in the NHL, but some of it is also the opportunities now being given to Pastrnak on the power play and riding on the right wing with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

Clearly, Pastrnak put the work in while staying in Boston for six weeks last summer rather than returning home to his native Czech Republic, and the results speak for themselves. The dedication to improving his game and strong work ethic round out the package, and make the former first-round pick the future face of the franchise.

2: Xander Bogaerts

TURNS 25: OCTOBER 1, 2017FINAL RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10

The most efficient way to describe Xander Bogaerts would be "when it rains, it pours".

The way things started in 2016, it seemed like Bogaerts was set as the centerpiece of the Red Sox lineup for years to come. Especially with opposing catchers going out of their way to tell David Ortiz that Bogaerts was the best hitter in the game.

Bogaerts can still be that great hitter. He has the ability to break down any at-bat pitch-by-pitch with greater detail than some grizzled veterans.

His biggest problem is his streaky nature and inability to make quick adjustments.

The talent is there, though. Despite his ups and downs, he hit .294 in 2016 after hitting .320 in 2015. He also left the yard 21 times in 2016 after only doing so 20 times through his previous 318 games in Boston.

He hits for contact and he hits for power. There just has to be a smaller range between Bogaerts’ peaks and valleys.

In the field, however, he has more room to grow. Bogaerts’ range is good enough -- especially given he’s one of the best hitters at a defensive-oriented position -- but his struggles throwing the ball to first are concerning.

The tools are there, but even if he doesn’t completely bring everything together, Bogaerts will continue to be an All-Star-level shortstop.

1: Mookie Betts

TURNS 25: OCTOBER 7, 2017FINAL RATING: 9.1 OUT OF 10

Mookie Betts has the ability to not only be the face of the Boston Red Sox franchise, but maybe the face of Boston sports when Tom Brady retires -- assuming Brady calls it quits before Betts.

Through 355 games with the Sox, Betts is hitting .304 with 54 home runs, 96 doubles and 208 RBI. Plus, he’s scored 248 times and has as many stolen bases as homers.

It first seemed like Boston’s right fielder would be a leadoff hitter, but he showed in 2016 that he’s much more than that. In the process, he earned himself a starting spot in the All-Star Game and finished as the A.L. MVP runner-up in the process.

Betts finished second in the A.L. in runs (122), hits (214) and average (.318). He also knocked in the fourth-most runs (113) and was tied for third in doubles (42). All this while launching 31 home runs (t-19th) and stealing 26 bags (sixth), too.

Betts’ quick hands give him room for error at the plate and strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. All signs point to him becoming one of the all-time greats in Boston’s -- and that’s without delving into his game-changing ability on defense.